---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:30:19 EDT
From: Billecb at aol.com
To: APRS-AR at yahoogroups.com
Reply-To: APRS-AR at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [APRS-AR] (no subject)
_Press Release for ARBONET II_
(http://www.arbonet.net/blog/view_post.one?pid=23261)
Sunday, October 14th, 2007, 8:39 pm [_General_
(http://www.arbonet.net/blog/view_category.one?cat=1) ]
ARBONET-II High Altitude Balloon Flight Set for an October 20th Launch
Members of the ARBONET (Amateur Radio Balloons Over NorthEast Texas)
organization are making final preparations for the October 20th launch of ARBONET-2.
Originally scheduled for launch last spring, ARBONET-2 is being dedicated to
the memory of Kim R. Miles, N9IS SK, a long time contributor to the central
Indiana Windtrax Amateur Radio High Altitude Balloon team who passed away
March 27th at the age of 51.
ARBONET-2 will be launched from the JD Trissell Airport in Clarksville, TX
which is located in the northeast corner of the Lone Star State. Launch time is
scheduled for 9:30 AM CDT on Saturday October 20th. Current winds aloft
forecasts indicate the ground track of the flight will carry the amateur
payloads towards the Texas - Louisiana state line. If ARBONET-2 reaches its expected
altitude of 96,000 ft, radio amateurs in parts of as many as seven states
should be able to monitor the beacons and communicate through the cross band
repeater onboard the near space vehicle.
The compliment of payloads aboard ARBONET-2 includes:
A plain language homing beacon that will transmit navigation data to the
ground on 146.560 MHz in plain English thus allowing anyone with a scanner or 2
meter hand-held in the coverage zone to follow the progress of the flight
without the need for additional equipment to process the data.
An APRS beacon operating on 144.390 MHz to report vehicle location data
throughout the duration of the flight and to aid in the recovery of the packages
following descent.
A 70 cm Up / 2 meter Down Cross band FM repeater (445.800MHz Up 147.560 MHz
Down) will support two way communications during the duration of the ARBONET-2
flight.
A 10 meter CW beacon experiment produced by the Richardson Wireless Klub,
K5RWK will transmit a 500 milliwatt signal on 28.061 MHZ.
In addition, ARBONET-2 will carry a number of secondary payloads that will
perform remote data collection functions for analysis once the payloads are
recovered. These payloads include a 4 mega pixel digital camera configured to
capture images every 30 seconds through the duration of the flight, a self
contained balloon burst video system designed to capture images of the balloon
burst event and other environmental data loggers.
Operators are encouraged to submit reception reports from the ARBONET-2
flight to team members via the ARBONET web site: _www.arbonet.net_
(http://www.arbonet.net/) . A special commemorative QSL card will be made available to
everyone who submits reception reports to the ARBONET team.
An ARBONET Launch Information HF net will be held on 3.910 MHz ( +/- 10 KHz)
beginning at 9:00 AM CDT to report the progress of flight preparations and to
provide real time coverage of the expected two and a half hour flight.
The ARBONET team encourages radio amateurs throughout the flight's coverage
zone to make use of the payloads aboard ARBONET-2.
Additional updates will be posted to the ARBONET web site in the days leading
up to the mission. In the event weather conditions cause a postponement of
the launch, the next launch attempt is scheduled for the following Saturday,
October 27th.
_All Systems GO for October 20th 2007_
(http://www.arbonet.net/blog/view_post.one?pid=23251)
Sunday, October 14th, 2007, 11:32 am [_General_
(http://www.arbonet.net/blog/view_category.one?cat=1) ]
ARBONET 2 is GO for October 20th. The expected flight profile includes an
ascent of approximately 1000 fpm climb and winds aloft directing the flight on a
heading of 128 degrees SE, down range approximately 45 miles. The flight
should continue to climb to the point where the balloon will burst, having
expanded from approimately 8ft in diamter at near sea level pressure to a final
diameter of approximatley 24 feet at the edge of space. It is hoped the
balloon burst is captured on an on-board video system provided by Mark Culross of
the Lockheed Radio Club.
This flight will include a payload from the Richardson Wireless Klub. This
payload is a 28MHz beacon and it is hoped its' tiny signal will find receivers
in lands far away.
This will be the first attempt by ARBONET to fly the Tripmate GPS in the
beacon payload, and along with the Tripmate GPS will be a second, very low cost
modular GPS connected to a single micro controller logging all aspects of the
flight, including temperature inside and outside of the payload.
See the ARBONET.NET web site for more details and timelines on this October
20th flight.
73s!
The ARBONET Team
--
Travis W. Burton, NP, ESQ., KB5ILY / Arkadelphia AR
EC - Clark County AR, SATERN, ARRL Instructor & VE, AREC I, II & III
Internet: mailto:kb5ily at arrl.net
WWW: http://www.kb5ily.org
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